Singularity

by William Sleator

Book Overview

Identical twins Barry and Harry Krasner are house-sitting at their great-uncle's Midwest farm. It's peaceful at first, but soon they realize there's something about the farmhouse that makes locals... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140375988
• Release Date: December 1995
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.4" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

Hooray for Sleator!

Every book has something good about it;however,this book has three good things about it. First of all, the charachters act like real people. You can identify with them. Secondly, it is extremely suspenseful. Sleator puts a master stroke with the "mouth", putting an exiting aimosphere in this story. Lastly, I enjoyed reading it. It was fun to read! Obviously, these three things make this book worth reading. Lulu in CA

Let's face it...

Lets face it. Sleator has made a lot of garbage lately. His best books were made in his prime, which ended maybe 7-8 years ago, and include: Others See Us, Oddballs, House of Stairs, Interstellar Pig, The Green Futures of Tycho and, of course, Singularity. In these books he treated the audience intelligently and dealt with science fiction problems in new ways, while keeping the reader sympathizing with the main character. I'll summarize the plot quickly. Barry and Harry are twins, but Barry is strong and popular, and he bullies Harry, who is weak. Harry, eventually getting fed up, locks himself inside a room that holds a singularity, where time flies inside the room while time slows to a crawl outside. He keeps himself in the room for a year while a night passes on the outside world. The best part of Singularity was not the psychological rivalry between the twins, but how Harry managed to keep himself sane through a regimented routine of diet, exercise, meditation and reading. I found it very interesting how someone could find inner peace, and grow up to be a man, through such a regimented, solitary program.

The sci-fi is just icing on the cake

The last time I read this book was probably about 10 years ago, and plausible or not, the sci-fi time warp aspect of it is not what has stuck with me all these years. What I remember most (and loved best) was the development of the relationship between the brothers and how the picked-on brother became a mature, thoughtful human being through self-discipline, meditation, physical strengthening and intense study. It was a wonderful message about what is possible for the dedicated under-dog, and how very simple and accessible the tools for self-improvement are.

Join Harry and Barry in an adventure of space and time...

Singularity is about two teenage brothers who decide to stay at their uncle's abandoned house for the summer. But shortly after they arrive, they discover a strange "playhouse" in their backyard and realize how much stranger it is from the inside... After coming into acquaintance with a girl who lives nearby, they learn of old legends surrounding the area: how cattle have mysteriously disappeared only leaving piles of bones in their place... The three of them search for the truth regarding these mysteries and investigate the strange and eerie house of their deceased uncle. But the more they search, the more the answers seem to point to the same place- The Playhouse. Singularity is a story involving time warps, parallel worlds and intergalactic monsters. It is definitely a wild ride, and highly recommended to anyone who is the least bit interested in theories of time and space- or just in the mood for a fast paced adventure.

Singularity By William Sleator

William Sleator is a newly emerging author into the world of science fiction. One of his greatest works is Singularity, a story of teenage twins Harry and Barry and their adventure in time. Singularity is an exciting science fiction novel that is enjoyed by nearly all its raeders. William Sleator was born in 1945 in Maryland and attended Harvard University with intentions of becoming a scientist. After college, Sleator began writing rather than getting involved in the scientific field. Some of Sleator's most well-known books are: House of Stairs, Among the Dolls, The Green Futures of Tycho, Interstellar Pig, and Singularity. Sleator spends most of his time in Maryland and Bangkok, China. Sleator says, "Bangkok makes me feel the most at home. It is so exotic that it feels like another planet. (Don't ask me why that makes me feel at home.)" In the novel, Singularity, twins, Harry and Barry, are teenagers living in an average town. Barry is much more popular and outspoken than Harry. Harry seeks revenge on his twin for his arrogance and cruelty. Harry and Barry are on their way to the home of their deceased uncle where they are to spend the summer. When they arrive, they discover that the house is ornamented with skeletons of bizarre animals, unknown to our world. Out back, there is a small, metal structure, almost like some sort of a bomb shelter. It is barricaded by a strong double lock. After searching, the twins find the keys to the "playhouse" and begin their adventure into time. They quickly discover that time is slower in the playhouse; a second in real time is like hours in the playhouse. At first, the playhouse is like a game, but they soon wish they had never found the keys . . . The characters of Singularity are very realistic while the setting is characteristic of most science fiction novels. The "black hole" keeps the story from seeming exceedingly realistic but the author does a wonderful job of making it seem believable. The story draws the reader in, making it almost impossible to put the book down after the first few pages. It is full of excitement and wonder which encourage the reader to read on. Singularity is a "crafty interplay of fantasy and sibling psychology" (Kirkus Reviews). Sleator did a wonderful job of drawing the reader in and making science fiction seem believable. Singularity is an excellent story, even for those who don't enjoy most science fiction novels.